Tempering apparatus



Oct. 18, 1949. g; A R r 2,484,925

TEMPERING APPARATUS v Filed June 4, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors ('4 YD E A. filo/(2 ,q/va E/w A. A M'KLEY Qtturneps 4 Shets-Sheet 4 Zmuentnta C'LYDE ,4. BAKEQ mm PAY AJ/mwzer Qttumeps C. A. BAKER ETAL TEMPERING APPARATUS Filed June 4, 1947 Oct. 18, 1949 IIII/IIIIII/l' Patented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES FATENT' OFFICE TEMPERING APPARATUS York Application June 4, 1947., Serial .No. 752,490

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to glass treating apparatus and particularly to the tempering of glassware to give it greater thermal endurance and mechanical strength.

In general, the object of the invention is the tempering of glassware in a rapid and efiicient manner. More specifically, the object is a wholly mechanized apparatus for conveying ware through a suitably heated atmosphere'and for then subjecting the ware to streams of chilling fluid while effecting relative movement between the ware and the roots of the streams to temper it in a desired manner.

The foregoing objects are realized in a structure comprising a conveyer having an endless path through a kiln and about a turret type chilling or tempering apparatus arranged adjacent the exit end of the kiln and adapted to lift the ware from the conveyer, temper it, and redeposit it on the conveyer from which it can be transferred to a conveyer for carrying it to its final destination, as, for example, an inspection and packing area.

A particularly important feature of.the invention includes'an arrangement'wherein the support for the ware is not only heated along with the ware but continues to carry the ware while it is being tempered.

A further feature includes facilities for preheating the support, which has been chilledalong with the ware, before reuse in conveying ware through the kiln.

Another feature is a heating kiln for the ware in which the ware is supported through a horizontal slot in a vertical side wall enabling a more uniform temperature to be maintained in the kiln than when access thereto is had'through the bottom or top wall thereof.

In the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 and 2 together'comprise a plan view, with certain parts in Fig. 2 broken away, of an embodiment of the invention suitable for heating hollow articles of ware to a desired temperature and for then subjecting them'to streams of chilling fluid to temper them in a desired manner.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on line 3-3-of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken online 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 'l'! of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view showing the mechanical means employed to retard the speed of lifting'the ware supports.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of a fragment of the apparatus shown in the right-hand portion of Fig. '3.

In the illustratedembodiment of the invention the apparatus comprises a heating kiln H of 'U configuration in plan, a conveyer l2 trained about a chilling or tempering turret [3 in the vicinity of the entry and exit [5 and I6 of the kiln and about an idler turret I4 at the base of the U. Conveyer I2 has portions l1 projected into the kiln I! through a horizontal slot [8 (Figs. 3 and '7) through the inner wall thereof. Portion I 1 has a ware support '35 resting thereon which is raised and rotated by a platform 36 (Fig. 3) of turret l3 while ware supported thereon is subjected to streams of chilling fluid as the ware is conveyed about the turret. Before the paths of travel of platform 36 and conveyer portion I! separate, the platform 36' is again lowered and the ware support is thus redeposited on conveyer support portion l1. As will be understood, a tempered piece of ware 20, for example (Fig. 3), is removed from support 35 and replaced with a piece of ware to be tempered after becoming disassociated from turret l3 and before a conveyer support-portion l-T again enters kiln ll.

conveyer The conveyer I2 comprises segment or link portions 21 (Fig. 2) pivotally connected to one another by pins 22 whose bottom ends carry rollers 23 (Figs. 3 and '7) adapted to enter notches 24 (Fig. 2) between teeth 25 of a drive wheel 26 of turret l3 and to enter notches 29 (Fig. 1) between teeth 21 of a wheel 28 comprising part of turret l4. While passing about turrets l3 and I4, link portions 2| are also supported on wheels 26 and 28 and are maintained in a horizontal planeby meansof rollers-30 thereof riding against the underside of circular tracks 3| (Fig. 1) and 32- (Figs. 2 and-3) Kiln The kiln ll i's-of usual refractory construction of octagonal configuration in cross-section and has rows of surface combustion burners such as 40 (Fig. '7) arranged through the slanting walls thereof throughout its length. The kiln II is divided into aplurality of sections, such as sections ll" and H (Fig. 1) for example. The burners of sections H and II and the others of thekiln are provided with separate control valves, such as valves 38 and 39, so that desired temperature conditions can-be readily established within the kiln. Products of combustion pass out of the kiln via the horizontal slot I8 through which link portions I1 of conveyer I2 project into the interior of the kiln. A wear plate 4| (Fig. '1) is provided on the bottom wall of slot I8 on which portions I1 are slidably supported while passing through the kiln II. To maintain conveyer portions I1 in their horizontal position while passing through kiln II, rails 42 and 43 (Figs. 1 and 2) are provided whose under surfaces become engaged by the rollers 39 of the respective conveyer link portions 2| soon after leaving the under sides of turret tracks 32 and 3 I.

Turret assemblies Turret I3 (Fig. 3) includes a base 44 to which is attached a drum 41 having mounted thereon a tubular column 45. Arranged about the lower end portion of column 45 is a table 46 having a hub 48 provided with a worm wheel 49 adapted to be rotated about column 45 by means of a worm 59 carried by a shaft 5| driven by a motor 52 (Fig. 2) through the medium of a chain 53. A second table 54, above and integral with table 46, is provided with radiating arms 55 (Figs. 2 and 3) each having a hub 56 at its free end to accommodate a tubular axle 51 having a sprocket wheel 58 attached to its lower end. A splined shaft 59 passes through the bore of axle 51 and at its bottom end is coupled to one end of a lever 68, the operation of which will be explained later.

The top end of shaft 59 carries one of the previously described platforms 36, and within the confines of platform 36 is a chilling nozzle 62 provided with suitable apertures 63.

Nozzle 62 is adapted to receive chilling fluid via the bore of shaft 59 in its raised position in which position it has horizontal apertures 64 and 65 in alignment with an aperture 69 in axle 51 and apertures 66 in hub 56 and which are at all times in communication with a chilling air supply pipe 61. Pipe 61 is coupled to one of a series of vertically disposed pipes 1| threaded through supporting flanges 12 arranged over apertures in table 54 on which they are supported and arranged in an annular row about column 45. The upper ends of pipes 1| communicate with the interior of a chamber 16 of a circular fluid supply box 15 also having chambers 11 and 18. Box 15 has a hub 19 comprising walls of its chambers 16-18 and through which walls are apertures to pass fluid from a distributing sleeve 89 carried at the top of column 45 and entered by fluid supply lines 8|83 (Figs. 2 and 3) supplied with compressed air through suitable pressure regulators BI, 62 and 83, The box 15 is further provided with radiating arms 85 (Figs. 2 and 4) in vertical register with arms 55. Each arm 85 at its free end contains a sleeve 86 having an aperture 81 in communication with chamber 11 and with its bore occupied by a vertically slidable tubular shaft 88. Shaft 88 is closed at its top end and at its bottom end is threaded into an air distributing chamber 90. Chamber 99 is supported on a tubular shaft 9| passing through chamber 96 and through a cylinder 92 integral with sleeve 86 and containing a piston 95 attached to shaft 9|. air supply lines 96 and 91 are in communication with the upper and lower ends of cylinder 92 for lowering and raising shaft 9|. Air supply line 96 is alternately connected to atmosphere and a main air supply line 98 (Fig. 3) and similarly air supply line 91 is alternately connected to supply line 99 and to atmosphere via suitable ports in hub 19 and sleeve 89 in the proper se- As shown in Figs. 5 and6,

quence to raise and lower shaft 9| while a piece of ware is being conveyed about turret I3. In the position of the parts as shown in Fig. 3, the cylinder 92 is receiving air from its line 91 and is being exhausted to atmosphere via its line 96, whereas the reverse situation exists as regards the similar cylinder 92 and. lines 96' and 91'. Depending from chamber (Fig. 4) in axial alignment with shaft 9| is a nozzle I99 having a desired pattern of apertures across the bottom and along opposite sides thereof and adapted to be supplied with chilling fluid via the bore of shaft 9| when in its lower position, which is the same position at which fluid is supplied to chamber 99 and from which depend nozzles IIII and I92 in communication with chamber 99 and having oppositely disposed apertures directed toward the side wall apertures of nozzle I99. The air supplied to the bore of shaft 9| passes from chamber 18 through a conduit I91 and apertures 93 in the wall of shaft 9|, while the air supplied to the bore of shaft 88 and chamber 90 passes from chamber 11 through aperture 81 and apertures 89 through the wall of shaft 88.

The raising and lowering of platform 36 (Fig.

3) and its associated nozzle 62 is by a mechanical linkage with air chamber 99 comprising lever 68, a connecting rod 69, a rocker arm 13, a connecting rod 14 and a lever 94, the latter lever being pivoted to air chamber 99. The foregoing mechanical linkage is such that as chamber 99 is lowered to introduce nozzle I99 into an article of ware as such article and its support 35 are lifted off conveyer portion I1 and are rotated about their own axes through the engagement of sprocket whee1 58 with a stationary chain |2I trained thereabout during the travel of the ware about turret I3. During such travel air is impinged against the outer side walls of the article by nozzles |9| and I92 and on the bottom surface thereof by nozzle 62. At the same time air is impinged against the inner side walls and inner bottom wall surfaces of the article by nozzle I99.

As will be understood for best results, the application of chilling fluid to the ware should occur at the earliest possible moment after the ware leaves the kiln II. With this in view, the piston 95 and cylinder 92 in which it operates are of such size and operated by air at a pressure to produce rapid movement of the chilling nozzles to their active positions. To positively reduce the speed of movement of piston 95 just before platform 36 engages and lifts support 35, to assure a smooth pick up of the ware, piston 95, near the end of its stroke, is arranged to block the direct passage of air through pipe 91 (Fig. 6) to atmosphere so that the air trapped under piston 95 acts as a cushion to its final movement. An auxiliary cam means may further be employed to assure reduction of speed of movement of the platform 36 just before it engages a support. This auxiliary means may comprise a fixed cam I95 (Fig. 8) whose cam surface I91 is adapted to be encountered by a roller I96 (Figs. 3 and 8) at about the time air is supplied to the upper end of cylinder 92. The contour of surface I91 of cam I95 is such that raising of platform 36 by piston 95 is mechanically retarded to a speed dependent jointly on the cam contour and the speed of travel of turret I3.

Support preheating them; "llhis zmaycliemccomplished 'by enclosin'g a: short sectionaof the conveyer 1.2- with .a preheat kiln spaced between thesentryiend of: kiln; Ill and the. turret l3; orr prdviding suitable flame heaters. for: this purpose. For zsimplicityfs; sake, burners il'll9aanditlil fl. (Fig; flti arez'diagrammatically shownqifori.preheatingzsupports as they leave the. pa'tlr,=oi travel about the turret.

In brief, the operation may be summarized as follows: An articleis ilacedion 'one' of the sup- J ports 35 after it passes burners. VI 09. and. I I 0, and before such support enters kiln ll.. 'llheanticle. passes through the kiln where it attains the proper temperature-for'tempering. As the article issuesa-from the kiln and joins-ithe path of travel; of-.a:setzof chilling nozzles, such nozzles are simultaneously moved into assoeiationi'withstheartlcle; thenarticle and its support lifted from the conveyer and rotated and the passages for supplying chilling fluid to the nozzles opened. After On said supports are rotated while in their lifted positions, and means for directing a fluid medium against the surfaces of articles of ware while they are being rotated about their own axes.

2. In a glassware tempering apparatus, a kiln of U configuration in plan for heating ware passed therethrough to a condition suitable for tempering and having a continuous horizontal slot through a side wall thereof, an endless conveyer having portions uniformly spaced from one another along the length of said conveyer projecting through said slot into the interior of said kiln, a turret arranged generally between the open ends of the kiln and about which said conveyer travels, ware supports normally resting on the portions thereof which project into said kiln, means for rotating said turret and for driving said conveyer, devices rotatable about their own vertical axes associated with said turret for raising said ware supports off said conveyer during a portion of their travel about said turret and for then lowering such supports to their initial positions of rest on said conveyer, means for rotating said devices about their axes whereby rotation of said supports is effected while they are raised off said conveyer, and means for directing a chilling medium against surfaces of articles of ware arranged on said supports while they are being rotated about the axes of their supports.

3. In a glassware tempering apparatus, a continuously moving conveyer, ware supports uniformly spaced along said conveyer normally resting thereon and being conveyed thereby, a turret about which said conveyer travels having support lifting platforms arranged under the respective supports and traveling at the same speed as the conveyer, means associated with said turret for raising said support lifting platforms until they engage and lift said supports off said conveyer and for thereafter lowering said platforms to re- 6 turnisa-i'di supportsttortheir. original .positihnston: said conveyer; andimeansfonimparting za': pering :treatment to :pieces-z of ware:- arranged-Jon: said 'suppontszwhile'rsuch supports arei lifted. off

conveyer.

4. In .a;.-glassware tempering: apparatus 1a. means for: establishing'temperature in said: suitablezfor: raisin-grthe: temperature rofta piece 0f. glassware asaxit: passes therethroughalto:that-item? perature most suitable for: chilling desired. cord-.-- pressive stresses 1' il'liithE? surfacesithereof, :an rend:- less conveyer .havingtportions passing thnougha 'saidilciln uniformly spaced from. onetzanothers along the length of said" conveyer, a turretroutside said kiln: about which: said conveyer: travels; means-for rotatingz'rsaid turret and for. driving said conveyer, ware: supports normally freely resting on; saidlzconveyer portions, means-associatedwith said turrettfor.:liftingsaid-ware ports from said conveyer portions during the initial travel of the supports about said turret and for at the same time rotating said raised supports about vetrical axes passing through the respective supports and for thereafter again lowering said supports onto said conveyer portions as travel of the conveyer continues about said turret, and means for applying chilling air to the interior and exterior surfaces of pieces of hollow ware arranged on said supports While said supports are in their lifted position.

5. In a glassware tempering apparatus a kiln, means for establishing temperature in said kiln suitable for raisin the temperature of a piece of glassware as it passes therethrough to that temperature most suitable for chilling desired compressive stresses in the surfaces thereof, an endless conveyer having portions passing through said kiln uniformly spaced from one another along the length of said conveyer, a turret outside said kiln about which said conveyer travels, means for rotating said turret and for driving said conveyer, Ware supports normally freely resting thereon, means associated with said turret for lifting said ware supports from said conveyer portions during the first portion of travel about said turret, nozzles for applying a chilling medium to surfaces of articles of ware arranged on said supports during a selected distance of their travel while they are in the lifted position, and means for effecting relative movement between said supports and nozzles while the chilling medium is being applied.

6. In a glass tempering apparatus a kiln having a vertical side wall with a passage therethrough throughout the length of said side wall, a conveyer having a path of travel along said side wall and having a portion projecting through said passage, an article support resting on said conveyer portion, means along the path of travel of said conveyer beyond the exit end of said kiln for lifting and rotating said support about its own vertical axis while conveying it in unison with said conveyer portion and for thereafter redepositing said support thereon before said portion re-enters said kiln, and means for directing a chilling medium against the inner and'outer surfaces of an article arranged on said support while the same is rotating about its own vertical axis.

7. In a glassware tempering apparatus, a continuously moving conveyer, ware supports uniformly spaced along said conveyer normally resting thereon and being conveyed thereby, a turret about which said conveyer travels having support lifting platforms arranged under the respective supports and traveling at the same speed as the conveyer, a kiln through which said conveyer carries said supports, means associated with said turret for raising a support lifting platform under a support substantially immediately after its issuance from said kiln to lift such support clear of said conveyer and for thereafter lowering said platform to return said support to said conveyer, means for in the meantime applying a chillin medium to an article of ware on said support, and means for preheating said support substantially immediately after it leaves said turret and before it re-enters said kiln.

8. In a tempering apparatus such as defined by claim 3, means for retarding the speed of 15 raising of the platform immediately preceding its engagement of said support.

9. In a tempering apparatus such as defined by claim 3, pneumatic means for retarding the speed of raising of said platform immediately preceding its engagement of said support.

10. In a tempering apparatus such as defined REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,514,122 Archer Nov. 4, 1924 2,375,944 Quentin May 15, 1945 2 ,377,536 Wisner June 5, 1945 

